World Cup 2026 intercontinental playoffs teams, schedule, bracket for final two spots in FIFA tournament

World Cup 2026 intercontinental playoffs teams, schedule, bracket for final two spots in FIFA tournament originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The final picture for the 2026 World Cup will become complete in March next year.

Following the November international window, we now know all but six of the teams who will take part in the tournament next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The remaining places will be filled by the winning teams at the two FIFA playoff tournaments: the UEFA version, and the intercontinental edition.

The Sporting News breaks down everything you need to know about the 2026 intercontinental playoffs.

MORE:All you need to know about how the World Cup draw works

Which teams are in 2026 World Cup intercontinental playoffs?

There are six teams in total who qualified for the intercontinental playoffs: one each from the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and OFC confederations, and two from CONCACAF.

Nation

Confederation

Qualified via

FIFA rank

Iraq*

AFC

AFC playoff winner

57

DR Congo*

CAF

CAF playoff winner

60

Jamaica

CONCACAF

Highest-ranking group runner-up

68

Suriname

CONCACAF

Second highest-ranking group runner-up

126

Bolivia

CONMEBOL

Seventh-place finisher

76

New Caledonia

OFC

Qualifying tournament runner-up

150

*Seeded teams given a bye to their pathway finals

Intercontinental playoff schedule, bracket

The schedule for the intercontinental playoffs was determined at the draw on Thursday, November 20.

All games will be staged in Mexico, at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey.

Pathway 1

Semifinal

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 26

7 p.m.

New Caledonia vs. Jamaica

Estadio Akron (Guadalajara)

Final

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 31

2 p.m.

DR Congo vs. Semifinal winner

Estadio Akron (Guadalajara)

Pathway 2

Semifinal

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 26

1 p.m.

Bolivia vs. Suriname

Estadio BBVA (Monterrey)

Final

Date

Time (ET)

Match

Location

March 31

8 p.m.

Iraq vs. Semifinal winner

Estadio BBVA (Monterrey)

MORE:Updated list of teams to have qualified for the biggest World Cup ever

Which World Cup groups do playoff winners enter?

We do not yet know which groups the playoff winners will be assigned to, with the World Cup group-stage draw not taking place until December 5.

FIFA confirmed that the two that progress from the playoffs will be in Pot 4 for the draw, meaning they should expect to face some difficult opponents in the tournament proper.

FIFA World Cup intercontinental playoffs format

The structure of the FIFA World Cup playoff format has been simplified in recent qualification cycles.

Based on the amount of cross-continental travel, often in the middle of the domestic season for players, objections were raised with criticisms over unfair advantages to 'stronger' confederations.

FIFA had the intercontinental playoffs for 2022 played at a neutral venue in Qatar. Since the matches were played on neutral turf, they were completed across a single 90-minute game rather than two legs played home and away. Extra time and penalties were used, if necessary.

The only regional confederation without a spot in the intercontinental playoffs is Europe (UEFA), which has its own playoff tournament.

MORE:All about the World Cup playoffs and how they work

Intercontinental playoff qualifiers at the World Cup

The intercontinental playoffs structure has offered nations an additional route to the biggest competition in international football.

The majority of sides have bowed out in the group stages after reaching the tournament, but a shot at the World Cup has allowed fans from nations outside of the established elite the chance to be involved.

Year

Qualified Nation(s)

Playoff Opponent

Result

World Cup stage reached

1974

Chile

Soviet Union

2-0 on agg.

Group Stage

1978

Hungary

Bolivia

9-2 on agg.

Group Stage

1982

—

—

—

—

1986

Scotland

Australia

2-0 on agg.

Group Stage

1990

Colombia

Israel

1-0 on agg.

Round of 16

1994

Argentina

Australia

2-1 on agg.

Round of 16

1998

Iran

Australia

3-3 on agg.(away goals)

Group Stage

2002

Rep of Ireland Uruguay

Iran Australia

2-1 on agg. 3-1 on agg.

Round of 16 Group Stage

2006

Trinidad & Tobago Australia

Bahrain Uruguay

2-1 on agg. 1-1 on agg.(4-2 PKs)

Group Stage Round of 16

2010

New Zealand Uruguay

Bahrain Costa Rica

1-0 on agg. 2-1 on agg.

Group Stage Semifinal

2014

Uruguay Mexico

Jordan New Zealand

5-0 on agg. 9-3 on agg.

Round of 16 Round of 16

2018

Australia Peru

Honduras New Zealand

3-1 on agg. 2-0 on agg.

Group Stage Group Stage

2022

Australia Costa Rica

Peru New Zealand

0-0 (5-4 PKs) 1-0

Round of 16 Group Stage

MORE:All the countries making their World Cup debut in 2026

History of FIFA intercontinental playoffs

FIFA introduced intercontinental playoffs into World Cup qualification cycles ahead of the 1974 tournament in West Germany.

However, the inaugural game was dogged by political controversy after the Soviet Union side refused to travel to Chile for the return leg in Santiago following a coup d'etat in the country, with the Chileans given a walkover into the competition.

Since then, the intercontinental playoff structure has been an ever-present part of World Cup qualifying with 1982 the only exception. The matchups changed from 1986 onwards.

UEFA vs. CONMEBOL was replaced by UEFA vs. OFC or CONMEBOL vs. OFC, before becoming a four-team set-up ahead of the 1994 World Cup, only for another temporary reversal ahead of France '98.

MORE:When Cristiano Ronaldo met Donald Trump at the White House